Growing Capsicum, also Bell peppers, Sweet peppers

Capsicum annuum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
              S S S S  
                  T T  

(Best months for growing Capsicum in Australia - temperate regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings

August: Sow in pots

  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 18°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 20 - 50 cm apart
  • Harvest in 10-12 weeks. Cut fruit off with sharp knife.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Egg plant (Aubergine), Nasturtiums, Basil, Parsley, Amaranth

Your comments and tips

21 Dec 19, Bj (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, I have 4 Capsicum plants and i use worm fertiliser and water on the days I can and i will all so use bath water and I have had flowers and that's it .
22 Dec 19, anon (Australia - temperate climate)
Depends whether you are using worm leachate or worm casting as fertiliser. I don't believe they have much NPK in them especially the leachate and I think you would have to use a lot to grow things. Although it says you can grow caps in summer I think it is far too hot to do so. Better a crop in autumn and early spring.
20 Dec 19, Elie (Australia - temperate climate)
Hey guys, My capsicum plant is giving me a lot og capsicum but they are small and changing colors while they are still small... any advise on what might be the issue
22 Dec 19, anon (Australia - temperate climate)
Probably not enough fertiliser and also I feel it is too hot this time of year to grow caps.
07 Dec 19, Jo (Australia - temperate climate)
I’ve noticed my capsicum is very small this year same as last year. Has been in for about 6 wks and is only about 6-7 inches tall. Been regularly watered and fertilised?
10 Dec 19, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Check the NPK of the fertiliser - seasol and similar things are not fertilisers. You would have to consider what the soil was like before you planted. Did you have another crop in before planting the caps. It would have used most of the nutrients up. What is the ph of the soil, the soil temp etc. Where I live we are having temps of 3+ degree above average and no rain. Too hot to grow most things I feel.
05 Dec 19, Graeme Mills (Australia - temperate climate)
I have one plant with lots of flowers but no capsicums in sight. This is the first time I have struck this as I've grown the very successfully in the past. I have a large net enclosing all of my vegie plants to keep the butterflies and birds away. They get plenty of water and fertilised with seasol about once a fortnight
06 Dec 19, anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Seasol is not a fertiliser. Do some research on fertilisers. I pulled some capsicums out today, plenty of flowers lately, little fruit developing, not many growing to full size, a lot being burnt by the sun. It's holiday time for the garden and myself.
01 Dec 19, Dale (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have a very healthy capsicum plant with many flowers and a half a dozen fruit coming along.Just spotted 3 capsicum with brown softish marks on them.(I picked them and cut the brown out) I almost cried when I saw them.They looked so healthy from a distance. We have had extremely hot conditions exceeding 35 degrees. and no rain.I have been watering them,but the ground around the property is starting to 'crack open'.Maybe the water isn't fully getting to the roots..I don't know.Any advice would be appreciated.Thanks
02 Dec 19, Another gardener (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have the same thing happening with my caps. I had a few develop nice and big but now that the weather is so hot the skin is being burnt by the sun. I think with this near extreme hot weather it is near impossible to grow certain crops, caps being one of them. I live near Bundy and we have just had Nov aver max temp of 30.9, 2.5 above average. Today is 35 and the rest of the week is 34-36. These kind of temps are normally the hottest of days in mid summer not the start. You need to be watering a lot and even trying to shade the plants some how. I don't normally grow things this time of the year and I'm quickly winding down my crops - too hot to work.
Showing 21 - 30 of 428 comments

Most vegetables are annual - germinate - grow - fruit/seed and then die. The cycle of life.

- Mike

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